System of electrical distribution.



A. S. HUBBARD. SYSTEM OF BLEU'IRIGAL DISTRIBUTION.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 16, 1905.

952,332, Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

.. w- :1 b i alll llll wi -A ari Arron/(EN i UNITED s'rA'rns ratrnnrr OFFICE.

ALBERT 8. HUBBARD, OI BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '10 GOULD STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, A. CORPORATION 0! NEW YORK.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

952,332, Specification of Letters Patent. Pate ted Ma r, j 5, 1 91 0 Application filed August 16, 1905. Serial No. 274.363.

'10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, ALBERT S. HUBBARI'), a citizen of the United States, and a resl: dent of Bellevillc. Essex county, State ot New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Electrical Distribution, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical systems of distribution and is especially directed to the employment of storage batteries in conneetion with alternating current circuits.

Generally speaking it is the object of ray invention to provide means to satisfactorily regulate the charge or discharge of a sto age battery from or to an alternating current circuit.

My invention also includes the employment of a storage battery as an auxiliary to an alternating current generator to steady the load on the latter, the current in the storage battery being regulated to maintain the generator load as nearly constant as practicable.

It is another oh ect of my invention to regulate satisfactorily storage batteries working in connection with an alternating current circuit. where the direct current of the battery is changed to an alternatil'ig current by an apparatus that varies the number of cells in circuit and reverses the connection of the batter to the circuit. or where the alternating current of an alternating current generator is used to charge the battery by employing such ccli varying aud rcvcrsingapparatus working in synchronism with the alternating current gencrai or.

Other objects of my invention relate to mm'c spccific features of the system as will lu-rcinaflcr appear.

To llu-sc ends I l'cgzulntc 1hr battcry current by providing. between the battery and lhc alternating curlcul gcncrator or the alternating current translating device, an alternating current source of" elcctrwmolive force that ma s be varied to lit the needs of the system. This supplcmcntal alternating,' current olmrtro-motirefmcc may be in a direction to add itself in the electro-nmtircforce of the circuit or to opposc thc electromotive-force. of the ircuil. or by reversing.

to either add its electro-motive-force to the circuit or to subtract its elcctro-motive force from the circuit, as desired. Its regulation may be. either manually or automatically effected, although my invention also in eludes specific means for automatic regulatron.

\Vhcre the battery is in an auxiliary circuit I place the variable source of alternatmg current electro-motive force in the auxiliary circuit and I provide means for automatically regulating this supplemental alternating current elcctro-motive-force in accordance with the load variations on the main alternating current generator. The means that I employ comprise a transformer, the secondary of which is in series witlrthc battery and its cmumutating apparatus, and mechanism to control the. action of this transformer, which mechanism is controlled by a coil connected so that its current is responsive to current changes in the alternating current generator. This can be effected by employing a transformer whose primary coil is in series with the main alternating current generator and whose sccmnlary coil is connected to supply current to the coil that directly controls the said inccluulisnl.

ore specific features of importalu-e in- \OlVQtl in my invention will appear hereinafter.

Rcfcrrilu; to the drawings acconnanying this specification. Figure 1 is a \iagram illustrating one embmiilncnt of my invention. Fig. 2 showsa modification of the portion ot the system cmmccting the alternatin; current and direct current circuits.

is an ultvrunlin}! current generator supplying; current to the work circuit W.

i is a storage ballcly which is in art ill the system illustrated as an auxiliary to slcady the load on the gcucralor l\. the battery being: regulated to discharge whcn the load on the generator increase-s and chargzc win-l1 tho load on the generator decreases.

indicates a dirccl current work circuit which ma} be provided if dcsil'cd.

represents a device for progrcssirclv varying: the number of coils in circuit and for rcvcrsing their (Ullllltilflll lo lhc circuit so that from ins-lam to instant the battery is giving a different voltage and at short in tervuls the direction of tie battcrly voltage relative to the conductors of the a tcrnnt ng current circuit is reversed, thus producing an alternutin current. In United plates patent to Hal No. (397,192, dated April 8th, 1902, details of this apparatus are fully shown and described am I will not, therefore, 'go into details respecting it in this specification.

Ap aratus (J is driven by a motor armature having a field coil D directly connected to the terminals of the storage battel-y, so as to receive a continuous current. The motor armature D has its winding conneeted to a con'nnutator (l, which may be connected through a rheostat d with the terniinals of the battery. The windings of the armature D are also connected to the rings (1", which, through switch d, may be coir nected to the alternating current side of the system. By this arrangement I am enabled to start the armature D at any time by closing the directcurrent circuitthrough the rheostat J and then, when the motor has been thus brought up to synchronous speed, the switch 11 may be closed and the circuit 0 ened at rheostat d. It important that t e brushes of apparatus C sha l be rotated b the motor at synchronous s eed, so that tile current produced by the shifting of the battery cells shall be in phase with the current of the alternating current gene 'ator.

The variable source of electro-motiveforce in the alternating current portion of the auxiliary circuit is shown as a transformer having a secondary coil E directly in the auxiliary circuit, so that it receives any current going from the battery to the work circuit W, or any current going from the main generator to charge the battery. I will now describe the means I employ to a the electro-motive-forco in secondary E an so regulate the action of the battery. E is the primary coil of the said trans former and may be constantly connected in shunt to the alternating currentcircuit. This coil E is mounted on a rotatable shaft- 6 carrying a worm wheel (1 which will be rotated to change the angular position of coil E by revolving the screw c". The electro-n'iotive-forco in coil 1) produced by the action of'the current in the coil E upon the coil E will depend upon the relative angu' lar position of the two ends, and to control this angular position I provide means to? This govern the movementof the screw c". is effected in the following manner. .-\t i is a transformer whose primary IS in the alternating current generator branch of the system, so that the current in the primary varies directly in accordance with changes of generator load. The current llltllil'l'tl in the secondary of transformer F will also vary accordingly. The current induced in cult to the right of that. derive.

this secondary is .utilized in the regulating coil G which is thus made responsive to generator loud changes, and this coil acts upon the lever ll, pivoted at It, and engaging the rotating friction whorls H, which are keyed to an extension H of the shaft of the armature 1). Any increase, therefore, of curr mt in the coil ('2 tends to move the lower end of lever H to the right causing an engagement.- betwccn the right hand friction whee-l H and a friction wheel H fixed with the shaft; It, which carries the screw 'lherefore, an increase of current in the coil G will tend to rotate wheel .ll and screw 1: from left to right and turn the primary coil E in one direction while any reduction of current in the coil G will tend to produce movement of the primary coil E in the oppositedirecon.

Vhen the coil E is at right angles to the coil E then there will be no eieotro-niotiveforce produced in the coil E since at this position the lines of force produced by the energizing current of the coil E will not pass through the coil E in the proper direction to produce useful induction. When the coil E is concentric with the coil E then the maximum induction takes place, the electro-motivc-force produced by the coil E being in one direction or another according to which side of the coil E has moved up wardly, that is, according to the relation between the relative direction of the currents of the two coils. In the intermediate positions intermediate electroanotivc-forces are generated by the coil E.

In order to op )ose the action of the coil G and to definitely determine the load that shall be permitted to fall upon the generator A, I provide a nmnunlly adjustable means for opposing the action of the coil (l upon the variable source of alternating current elcctro-motivc force. This comprises the spril'tg J which acts upon lever 11 in an opposite direction to that in which coil G works, the force of this spring being adjusted by turning the screw J. Thus, if it is desired to add another alternating current generator at some portion of the day when the. average load on \V increases, the

tension of spring J is adjusted so that considerably more current will have to [low in coll (r before the apparatus become-i adjllstcd to the position that will |1l'| \'ltll zero olcctro-motive ftucc in coil I"..

It will he noted that. tho gcncralor circuit, comprising the conduvmrs l. 1., are counot-led to thc working circuit at points 2. 2. and that all the conductors to the right of 2. :2. are comm-ted with lllt' auxiliary circuit. and thus the auxiliary circuit is an alternating current circuit down to th com mutating tll'l-lt'l (l. but a lll'l'll current cirl. lhorcfore, govern the llow of current in the direct enemas current portion of the circuit entirely by apparatus placed in the alternating portion of the circuit.

My arrangement enables me, and I prefer to design the battery and the various par. of the a )paratus so that the battery 'lll neither c large nor discharge when the current in the generator is at the desired avcra c, and at. this time I prefer that the secoln ary E will be producing no electromotire-force. These are, however, matters of design and adjustn'icnt. My invention enables me to produce satisfactmrily with a battery working in connection with an alternating current system, all that can he done with a battery workin; with a (.lircct current system.

It will be obvious that certain features of my invention are useful whether the battery forms the sole source of supply for an alternating current system. or whether, on the other hand, it always discharges to a direct currentsystem and is only charged from an alternating current system.

In Fig. 2, I show a modification which may be employed. Here, instead of employ int, the hall connnut-ating device C, I have provided a rotary converter C. the alternating current conductors of which would he connected exactly as the alternating current conductors leading from the hall apparatus are connected. In this case the motor D is only needed to drive the wheels H, H. Both in the case of Fig. l and the case of Fig. '2. the action of the battery controlled by the transformer E, E which is reversible and in the sense that the term is ordinarily used in the art. is an alternating current booster. 'hcthcr or notthis booster always adds elcctro-motireforce or subtracts clectro-nloti\'c-force. or sometimes adds and sometimes nuhtracts. is a matter for adjustment. to nu'rc local coiulitions. In ordinary practice. where the full s \-'.-'-.:teu1 shown is elnployml. the effort is to adjust the system so that when the average load desired is upon the main generator. the coil ll' will he at the position in which no elcctro-l'notire-force will he generated hy the coil E. while the hatlery voltage will he just sntiicient .-'o that it will ncitln-r receive our give out current. When the generator load is high the coil H will he. in such a position as to cause an ole-(lt HnutlYc-l'ul'cc to he generated in the coil E in a direction to add to the battery elertro-motire-force so that the lmttcuv may discharge. while at such time: as the generut'or load is low the coil ll' takes an opposite position and so causes the coil ii to generate an electro-motire-force that will add itself to the generator electro-motiveforce and t'tltL-w tlu-"lmtter vv to charge. This condition is. of course. an ideal one and in practice the alternating current |-oo-ter may smut-times have an electro-motivie-force oplumul to the current fl w in tlll' lll l) branch.

Having thus fully dest'rrihed my invention. what- 1 claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent. is:

l. The combination with a main alternating current generator and an alternating current distrihution circuit connected thereto. of an auxiliary circuit. connected to the generator and containing a storage battery. a reversible alternating current generator of electrolnotive force in operative relation to the auxilial r circuit, means for positively causing said reversible generator to operate responsivelv to variations in said alternating current circuit, and current converting means in said auxiliary circuit.

The combination with a main alternating current generator and an alternating current distribution circuit, connected thereto, of an auxiliary circuit connected to the generator and containing a direct.- current source of electricity, an alternating current; generator of electromotive force in the anxiliary circuit, means for positively causing said last mentioned alternating current generator to operate responsive to variations in said alternating current circuit, and intcrposed means for converting directcurrent into alternating current or vice versa.

3. The combination with a main alternating current generator and an alternating current work circuit, of an anxilhn' tcircuit in operative relation to the generator and containil'ig a storage apparatus, an alternating current generator of elect ronmtive force in the auxiliary circuit, means for compelling said last mentioned alternating: current generator to operate l'GfipflI'lSlVG to variations in the alternating current circuit. and an ii'iterposcd cou'imutating device.

4. The combination with a main alternating current generator and an alternating: current work circuit, of an auxiliary circuit in operative. relation to the ginierator and containing a storage battery. an alternating current source of elcctron'iotire force in uperative relation with the auxiliary circuit, means for positively opcrntiu; said source responi 'ive to changes in said alternating current circuit. and an inter )osed commutilting: device for varying: tic nnmhcr of battery cells in circuit. and for rem-rain; the connections thereof.

5. The combination with a main alternating: current generator and an alternating current work circuit. of an :mxiliary'circuit in operative relation to the generator and containing a storage hatter), a rerersihle alternating current source of electronlotive force in the auxiliary circuit. means for positiveiv controlling said source to eunlprl it to operate responsive to changes in aid work circuit, and an iuterpoa-d 1'0Iilltltllnt-- ing device connected and arranged to vary the number of butter cells in circuit, and to reverse connections t mrefronl to produce an alternating current corresponding to that of said main alternating current. generator.

6. The combination with a main alternating current generator and an alternating current work circuit, of an auxiliary circuit in operative relation to the generator and containing a storage battery, means for progressively changing the number of battery cells in circuit and reversing their connection in circuit to produce an alternating current, and alternating current means for positively controlling t e battery action in accordance with changes in the alternating current circuit.

'2'. The combination with a storage battery, of apparatus for progressively changing the number of battery cells in circuit and reversing their connection in circuit, an alternating current work circuit in operative relation to said apparatus, means for regulating the electromotive force impressed upon said work circuit, and means for positively compelling said regulating means to operate'responsive to variations in said alternating current circuit.

8. As a means for regulating the charge and discharge of storage batteries, apparatus for converting direct current into alternating current connected to the storage hattcry, an automatic alternating current booster in series with said apparatus, and alternating current means for compelling said booster to operate responsive to variations in the alternating current.

9. Apparatus for regulating the charge or discharge of a storage battery from or to an alternating current circuit comprising means for converting alternating current into direct current and vice versa, a trans former having one of its coils in series with the battery and means for positively con trolling and reversing the elcctromot-ivc force of said coil responsive to changes in said alternating current circuit.

10. An apparatus for regain ting the charge or discharge of a storage battery from or to an alternating current circuit, comprising means ,t'or converting alternatingcurrent into direct current or vice verso, a transformer having (mo of its coils in series with said convortiiu humus and means for positively compelling one of the transformer coils to vary its angular position to vary the clcctrnmotivc force of the transformer coil in series with the battery directly responsive to variations in said alien-oiling current cl!" cuit.

11. A main alternating current guarantor, a storage battery. means for converting alternating current into direct and vice vulsn, a transformer hat-in one of its coils between said means am. the main generator, :1

regulating coil independent of said trancformer and directly and positively responsive to alternating current load changes and means for causing said coil to not upon the transformer to vary the electromotivc force thereof.

12. The combination with a main alternating current generator and an alternating current work circuit, of an auxiliary circuit connected to the generator and containing a storage battery, an alternating current 'gen orator of clectromotive force in series with the battery, and interposed means for convet-ting direct current into alternating current or vice versa, a coil in the circuit of the main generator, and means for causing variations of current in said coil to act u on said alternating current generator of 0 cctromotivc force.

13. A main alternating current generator, an alternating current work circuit, an auxiliary circuit containing a storage battery, apparatus for varying the number of battery cells in circuit and for reversing their connection in circuit, a transformer having a winding in the auxiliary circuit, appara tus acting on the transformer to vary the clcctromotive force of said winding and a regulating coil for said apparatus directly and positively responsive to alternating current load changes.

14. The combination with a main alternating current generator and an alternating current work circuit, of an auxiliary circuit containing a. storage battery, an alternating current source of clcctromotivc force in said auxiliary circuit, on interposed means for converting directcurrent into alternating current. or vice versa, and means in the circuit of the main generator for regulating said alternating current source responsive to variations in the electrical condition of the system.

15. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination of a source of alternating currentand its circuit, a storage battery, converting apparatus between said source and battery, a transformer in series with the battery, and having one coil movable relatively to the other. a constantly wtuting member and means for mechanically connectiug said movable coil with said meu'iber.

said means being: responsive to load changes on said sour 'u of alternating current.

16. The muuhinution oi an alternating currentdistribution circuit, u storage but-- cry in o wrutivr. relation lhcroto, converting apparatus commuted to said storage. buttery. an alternating current booster in series with said apparatus and means in said allotuating current circuitfor autonnuically regulating said booster responsive to varinliims in the alternating current.

1?. Thu comhil'lutiou of an alternating current generator and circuit, an auxiliary circuit, a storage battery connected thereto,

a reversing commutator and an alternating battery and rect current starting device for said commutator, means for operating said commutator .in synchronism with the alternating current generator, and means in the alternating current circuit for regulating the action of said booster; I

18. In an electrical system of distribution, the combination of an alternating current distribution 'cire'uit,

verting device and a source of alternating current electromotive force connected to the auxiliary circuit. and a regulating transformer responsive to'variations in the electrical condition of the system.'

19. In an electrical system of distribution,

the combination of an alternating current distribution circuit, an auxiliary circuit in operative relation thereto, a storage apparatus, a converting device and a source of alternating current electromotive force in the auxiliary circuit and a transformer connected to said distribution circuit for-"regulating the action of said source responsive to load changes in said distribution circuit.

20. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination of a source of alternating current and its circuit, a storage battery, converting apparatus between said source and battery, a transformer in series with the having one coil movable relatively'to the other, a constantl member, electromagnetic means or operatively connecting said movable coil with said member responsive to nating current circuit.

21. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination of a source of alternating current and its circuit, a storage battery,

changes in said alter- 'col'lverting apparatus between said source a transformer in series with the batteryand having one coil movable rela: tively to the other, a plurality of rotating disks, means for rotating said disks, means for mechanically connecting either of said disks with said movable transformer coil re and lba ttery,

an auxiliary circuit in operative relation thereto, a battery, a conmoving sponsive to variations in the alternating current, circuit. a

22. A system of electrical distribution" comprising the combination of a source of alternating current and its circuit, a sourceof direct current and its circuit, transforming-apparatus ope'ratively connected between fluctuations on the alternating current cit-- either direction between the direct currentthe two sources, and means responsive to source and the alternating cu'rrent-circuit,--

said means including a source of electromotive force connected in series between the alternating current terminals of the trans-1;

forming apparatusand the alternating current circuit, substantially as described.

23. A system of electrical distribution 1 comprising the combination of a source of.

alternating current and its circuit, a storage battery and its direct current circuit, transforming apparatus operatively connected between the two circuits, and means responsive to fluctuations on cnit, for c'ompellin the transfer of energy in either direction tween, the stora e bat.- tery and the alternating current circuit,said

means including a source of 'eIectromotive the alternating cirforce connected in series between .the alter-1 n'ating currentterminals of the transformcircuit, substantially as described.

24. The combination of an alternatingi.

current generator and circuit therefrom, a direct current eifcuit and a tus connected thereto, suitable transforming provisions operatively connecting said circuits motii'e force, and means for regulating the same operatively related to the alternating current circuit.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT S. HUBBARD; Witnessest i CHARLES R. LAQRUILI, Gno. HARRIS.

storage appara f a source of alternating current electro- 1 ing apparatus and the alternating current go 

